This invention relates to golf ball putters, and more specifically to a putter designed to electronically indicate when the face of the golf ball putter is aligned with a target.
One of the challenges of golf is the short game or the portion of the game that is played on or in close proximity to a golf green. Whether or not a person is successful at the short game depends in part on the person""s ability to properly align the face of their putting iron with the hole on the green. Devices are known which improve a player""s swing and which improve the consistency of a player""s swing. There are also visual aides for aligning the head of the putter with the hole, such as the small groove on the top of the putter head. However, such aides are only minimally helpful and certainly do not assist someone who has an eyesight impairment.
Therefore, a need is identified for a device that more readily helps a player to align the face of a putting iron with the hole on a golfing green and more particularly, a device that provides an audible aide rather than merely a visual aide to enable a person with an eyesight impairment to readily align a putting iron with the golf hole.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a golf ball putting device that produces an audible indication that the face of the putter is aligned with a target golfing hole.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an electronic golf ball putter that utilizes an infrared beam of light, a reflector and a sensor to determine whether the putter is properly aligned with a target.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf ball putter capable of assisting a visually impaired person to properly align a putting iron with the hole on a golfing green to more readily develop a consistently accurate golf stroke.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf ball putter that produces an audible and visual indication that the face of the putter is aligned with a target.
The device of the invention is the result of efforts to design a device that provides an audible aide for persons with an eyesight impairment when lining up a golfing iron with the hole on the green. Although the device is especially useful to those with impaired vision, the device is designed to facilitate the golfing game of any player. It is envisioned that the device may be adapted for other applications in which one object must be aligned with another and visual acuity is less than optimum.
A preferred embodiment of the electronic golf ball putter of the invention which is adapted to indicate when the putter is aligned with a target, comprises: a golf putting iron for hitting a golf ball; a power source; a communicator; a transmitter of communications from the communicator; and a sensor capable of sensor alignment between the golf putter iron and the target in response to the transmitter. The communicator is a light source which is capable of emitting infrared light; wherein the transmitter is preferably a light reflector; and wherein the sensor preferably comprises a means for sensing infrared light. The indicator may further comprise an indicator which emits a sound in response to the means for sensing infrared light.
The communicator and indicator may be fixed to the golf putting iron and the transmitter may be fixed to a means for supporting the transmitter proximate the target, such as a clip which may be adapted to releasably attach to a flag resting in a golf hole.
Another preferred embodiment of the electronic golf ball putter of the invention which is adapted to indicate when the putter is aligned with a target, comprises: a golf putting iron for hitting a golf ball; a power source; a light source; a light reflector; and a sensor capable of sensing alignment between the golf putter iron and the target in response to the reflector; wherein the light source is preferably capable of emitting infrared light; and wherein the sensor may comprise a means for sensing infrared light. The sensor may further comprise an indicator such as a sound emitter adapted to emit or cease one or more sounds in response to the sensor and the power source preferably comprises a battery. Similarly, the light source and the sensor may be fixed to the golf putting iron.
Yet another preferred embodiment of the electronic golf ball putter of the invention which is adapted to indicate when the putter is aligned with a target, comprises: a golf putting iron for hitting a golf ball; a communicator fixed to the golf putting iron; a remote transmitter of communications from the communicator; a power source; and a sensor fixed to the golf putting iron and capable of sensing alignment between the golf putter iron and the target in response to the transmitter; wherein the power source is preferably a battery pack.
Still another preferred embodiment of the electronic golf ball putter of the invention adapted to indicate when the putter is aligned with a target, comprises: a golf putting iron for hitting a golf ball; a communication transmitter provided proximate the target; a power source; a communication receiver, fixed to the golf putting iron, which receives communications from the source; and an indicator capable of indicating alignment between the golf putter iron and the target in response to the communication receiver.